1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to bookmarks, more specifically to bookmarks which are attachable to a book.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There currently exist many different types of attachable bookmarks. Of the current designs, no one design meets the desirable standards of unlimited usage, compact design, attachment at the binding and low manufacturing cost.
Many of the current attachable bookmarks have limited use since they are designed to attach to binding covers or to hard covers. Paperback books, magazines and other soft covered reading materials, which lack binding covers or sturdy hard covers often cannot support these types of attachable bookmarks.
Most attachable bookmarks lack a compact design. Often portions of the bookmark extend beyond the top and/or sides of a book's surface when attached. Portions that extend beyond a book's surface are subject to breakage. They are also more likely to catch on other objects, which may dislodge them or damage the contacted object. Transporting books marked by these types of bookmarks becomes a problem, especially when they are carried in bookbags, backpacks, briefcases or purses where they are likely to come into contact with other objects.
Some attachable bookmarks must be attached to the cover of a book instead of to the binding area. It is preferable to have the bookmark attach to the binding area because then the reader has simply to pull down on the page marker from its attachment at the binding for immediate placment into the core of the binding. The pressure of the bound pages at the core helps to keep the marker secure. When the bookmark is attached to the page cover, pulling straight down on the marker will not place the marker at the core of the binding. At best, the marker lays midway along the page as far away from the core as the attachment mechanism is from the core.
Often attachable bookmarks are made of a multitude of connected pieces. Such construction leaves the bookmark vulnerable to malfunction, unnecessarily complicated to use and expensive to manufacture.
Some examples of prior developments follows:
______________________________________ Country U.S. Pat. No. Patentee Issue Date ______________________________________ U.S. 785,215 George W. Hill March 21, 1905 U.S. 3,670,691 Isabel H. Anderson June 20, 1972 U.S. 4,982,685 Mitsuhiko Abe Jan 8, 1991 England 24,930 Charles E. Green Oct 29, 1909 Confed. 252,768 Kimon Collas Oct 16, 1948 Suisse ______________________________________
U.S. Pat. No. 785,215 illustrates an attachable bookmark that necessitates two separate methods of attachment to be useful on both hard cover books and magazines. The clip mechanism connects to binding covers of hard books, while the prong mechanism must be used on magazines. While one is in use, the other is unnecessary.
It must also be noted that portions of the bookmark extend beyond the surface of the book it marks, making it suseptible to breakage, more vulnerable to dislodgement and potentially dangerous to objects it comes into contact with.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,691 illustrates an attachable bookmark which as best understood is attached by gripping one or more pages between two tines. Attachment by gripping one or more pages between two tines is not a preferable form of attachment because it reduces the ease of movement of the pages clasped between the tines. It is also more likely to slide forward since nothing restricts such movement.
In addition, the method of attachment of the ribbon to the tines necessitates that a portion extend beyond the surface of the book. Extending portions are more likely to suffer breakage, cause dislodgement of the bookmark or injure objects with which they come into contact.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,685 illustrates an attachable bookmark which is more suitable for hardcover books since it requires attachment to a book cover. Soft covers, which deteriorate with time and use are less able to effectively support this type of bookmark.
British Pat. No. 24,930 illustrates an attachable bookmark that requires two separate origins for attachment. This bookmark attaches on the binding cover of hard books and on the page cover of soft covered reading materials. Attachment to the page cover is not desirable if possible since it is more difficult to position the marker at the core of the binding. The further the marker is from the core, the more likely it is to slide out of the book it is meant to mark.
Confed. Suisse Pat. No. 252768 illustrates an attachable bookmark which is unnecessarily complicated. The bookmark first must be attached to the bottom of a book. The page marker then must be placed up the book to get it into position to be brought back down between two pages to mark them. Attachment at the bottom and running the marker up the page is unnecessary when a bookmark can be attached at the binding. An additional problem with this bookmark is that there is nothing to prevent the bookmark from sliding out from between the pages. The reader would have to be mindful of the marker at all times to prevent the marker from sliding out of the book it is meant to mark.